Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots champion Blended Whiskey made his first start on Alberta soil a winning one in his Western Pace elimination Saturday afternoon at Northlands Park
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With the streaking Sixdaysontheroad scratched sick, the Travis Umphrey-trained son of Rambaran-Leia Lee and driver Bill Tainsh, Jr. left from Post 5 and established a two length lead, which he maintained through intervals of :28, 56.3 and 1:24.3. In the stretch, the fan favourite then kicked away by seven and a half lengths to stop the clock in 1:53.3.
Western Pace - first elim from thehorses.com on Vimeo.
Camblazer (Gerry Hudon) finished second off a pocket trip with Keith Clark pupils Wrangler Hitech (Clark) and Shouldabeensam (Don Monkman, Jr.) finishing well back in third and fourth.
Lethbridge’s Terry Hamilton owns the winner of 10 races in 22 starts and $183,720. The victory was Blended Whiskey’s 12th lifetime and pushed his bankroll to $222,495.
Swiftys First Star made it five-in-a-row after capturing the second $15,000 elimination. With Jeff Stone taking the reins, the As Promised-Swiftys Girl gelding followed Red Riverboat (Gerry Hudon) through early fractions of :28 and :58 before making his move. Swiftys First Star surged to a two-length lead during the second panel and reached three-quarters in 1:26.2. The favourite extended his lead to three and a quarter lengths in the stretch and cruised under the wire in 1:56.
Western Pace - second elim from thehorses.com on Vimeo.
Red Riverboat stayed for second while Clark entrymates, Outlaw Mister Cool (Monkman, Jr.) and Oblivious Boy (Clark), picked up third and fourth in the this elim as well.
Swiftys First Star is trained by Robert Sabourin, Jr. for owners/breeders Kurt and Kathy Schmidt of Leduc, Alta. Now seven-for-nine in 2009, the bay has earned $46,517. His ninth career win lifted his total bankroll to $91,763.
The top four finishers in each elimination will return next week for the $100,000 Western Pace.
Northlands also hosted a single $44,229 ABSS Alberta Parkland division for four-year-old horses and geldings, which saw Timberline Court and trainer/driver Gerry Hudon pull off a dominating score in 1:55.1. The favoured son of With Held-Bon Temps was on top before the first quarter in :28.2 and then rolled to the half in :57 before widening his lead to five. The gelding was all alone heading to three-quarters in 1:25 and coasted home for his fifth win in 16 starts this year and 13th lifetime.
Avalon Promise (Keith Clark) was second with Barona Grizzly (Brandon Campbell) finishing third.
Timberline Court, who won his Alberta Prairie division on July 25 at Grand Prairie, is owned by Hudon and breeder Lynn Kowalevsky of Airdrie, Alta. Timberline Court has banked $68,406 this year and $181,182 overall.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click here.